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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. wax — to grow
  3. track — to keep track
  4. stand — to bear
  5. vault — a safe
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. cell — a phone
  10. track — a path
  11. suit — in cards
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. suit — clothes
  14. track — a song
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. pop — music
  17. rule — government
  18. cell — in biology
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. pop — soda
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. pop — to visit
  23. suit — to fit
  24. wax — for sculpting

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com